Sweet Saturdays: Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week has been a pretty good week for me. I met with the conductor of a local youth symphony (who also happens to be a professor at my college, that was a nice surprise!) Wednesday and then again today to discuss the symphony and if I could be a part of it. Turns out the symphony still has two concerts left for this season, both in June. The concerts are their Pop concerts where they are playing John Williams music! So today the conductor gave me the music for the theme from Schindler’s List and Jaws so I can look it over before rehearsal on Monday. I’m so thrilled for Monday, but also nervous, because I have don’t have any orchestra experience, and Monday is basically my audition for the symphony! But, on the plus side I get to sight read the piano part for Star Wars! The conductor was going to have it played on the keyboard because the score wants it to “synthesize” the harp, but I don’t care what I have to do, I am going to make it work on the harp because I’ll be damned if they do Star Wars and I can’t play in it!!!!!

Phew, alright. After all of that text I need a cookie. Would you like one? I sure hope so because these are delicious! I personally think there is nothing better than a fresh-from-the-oven, gooey chocolate chip cookie. When I was looking for a chocolate chip cookie recipe to try, I really wanted one that would be soft, and super chewy, because that makes the best gooey cookie if you ask me! So when I stumbled upon this recipe in Martha Stewart’s “Cookies” cookbook, I knew this was one I wanted to try and share with you all.

My dad was more than happy to be my taste tester, and noted that although these are really good, they didn’t live up to the chocolate chip cookies that my mom used to make. Unfortunately, my mom changed recipes a lot and I’m not sure which one is the one my dad really liked, let alone where to even start looking!

But for now, this is definitely a keeper recipe! And funnily enough, these cookies actually reminded me a lot of the big chocolate chip cookies that Mrs. Fields sells. I haven’t decided whether that’s a good thing or not, because when I think of Mrs. Fields I think of a commercial cookie, not something that was homemade… but that being said, these cookies certainly fulfill their title!

I sure hope you all enjoy this recipe for seriously soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

P.S. I seriously need to NOT procrastinate on making the recipe for this post, because I should be posting this much earlier on Saturday so you all can enjoy it, not at almost midnight… *sigh* At least I have a goal for next week, right? >_>

Sweet Saturdays: Double Chocolate Brownies

Hey everyone! I know it’s really late on Saturday, and that it’s not even Saturday technically for some of you! But, as long as I get this post out sometime on Saturday, everything will be fine

My baking assistant, the lovely dog-dog!

I was really unsure as to what I wanted to bake for this post, which is why I didn’t actually get it baked until today… but that aside let’s talk about these delicious brownies I made! These were the very first homemade brownies I have made (as in, not from a box mix), and I am really proud of how they turned out! I may have overbaked them just a tad because when I put my cake tester in no crumbs were stuck to it, and the recipe said it should have a few, but I sampled a couple of them and they still tasted great!

These brownies I made to share with you all are from Martha Stewart’s “Cookies” cookbook. The only baked good I can recall trying by Martha Stewart are the Chocolate Crackles I used to make with my mom for Christmas, but I am really enjoying these brownies! They are dense but packed full of chocolate because of the semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder the recipe calls for. They are seriously the ultimate fudgy brownie, so if that’s your thing, then please give these a shot. You won’t be sorry!

<3 and harp strings,
Kate

Peanut Butter Pie with no Regrets

Today has been a day for pies. Not just any pies though. Today was a day for Peanut Butter Pie.

Jennie over at In Jennie’s Kitchen lost her husband, Mikey, very suddenly due to a heart attack. She has not only lost her husband and love of her life, but the father of her 2 little girls. :’(

Comments have been pouring into her blog asking what people can do for her, because everyone who reads her story is just heartbroken over her loss, and we all wanted to reach out and help take some of the pain away, even if it’s only for a little bit.

 

Jennie’s response to everyone was simple.

Bake a Peanut Butter Pie in honor of Mikey.

It was his favorite pie.

So that’s what everyone did. Take a look at the number of pies that were made today in honor of Mikey!

 

From reading her post asking everyone to make a pie for Mikey, I realized something. Too often do we put important things off for “tomorrow” because it will get done “eventually”. Unfortunately for some of us, “tomorrow” never comes. I have so many regrets with my mom. There are recipes that will forever be lost because, unless by some miracle, I doubt I’ll ever come across them.

I also regret never being able to move out of the typical “mother/teenage daughter” relationship that we had, where we both basically got on each others’ nerves. I so desperately wanted the relationship that my sister’s had with her. Talking everyday on the phone, being friendly, etc. But it was hard for mom and I because we lived together.

I never got the chance to be an adult in my mom’s eyes.

 

So, now I ask you guys. Don’t make the same mistakes.

That dinner recipe your mom/dad/husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend absolutely loves? Don’t shove it off because your busy. Put in the extra effort and make it tonight.

Those cookies that your grandma/grandpa/niece/nephew adore? Go out of your way to make it for them. Maybe even let them help!

The cupcakes that your best friend loves you to make them when they’re having a bad day? Make them when they aren’t having a bad day.

 

Live your life to the fullest.

Live your life with no regrets.

Because you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Fallen Soufflé Chocolate Torte

This cake was one of the first cakes I’ve ever made from scratch. I got an itch one day to make some kind of cake, so I started looking through my mom’s baking book, A Passion for Baking. It’s filled with all sorts of yummy recipes, but as I was flipping through it I stumbled upon this recipe and fell in love.

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love truffles. My favorite though is the Extra-Dark Chocolate Truffle (that I’ve only been able to find at Godiva, and of course we don’t have a Godiva nearby *pouts*). When I read the quote that was under the picture I knew that this was the cake I was going to make. It said “Digging into this cake is the closest you will come to eating a truffle with a fork” and BOY was she right!! Top this sucker with some cool whip and sliced strawberries (or pureed raspberries) and I can guarantee that you will be in heaven.

Bunco Night Fun

Thursday was Bunco night! I had tons to do still to get ready for the party though. Needless to say I was stressed, because of everything I had to do once I got up! I had to get the Southern Chicken and Dumplings started for dinner, take Sophie to the groomer, finish writing the recipe cards for the thank yous, put them together with Carrie, get the tables set up for Bunco, visit mom, bake my Fallen Soufflé Chocolate Torte, finish the chicken and dumplings, clean wine glasses, and clean up my sty of a kitchen. Phew! It was so much to do!

I had to get Sophie into the groomer because I was running behind, so while I dropped her off I had TJ help me out with Southern Chicken and Dumplings for dinner.

After I had the chicken and dumplings going, Carrie came over to help finish the thank yous and get the tables ready! W00t! After I finished writing the recipe cards, I had to go pick up Sophie from the groomers. She was so fluffy and cute and definitely ready to party hardy at Bunco!

Here are the beautiful thank yous! We put the cookies in a bag, and tied them closed with some ribbon that had the recipe attached to it. I think they turned out really great

Next on my list was to go visit my mom and bring her the flowers I had gotten for her at Sam’s Club. They were beautiful and I know momma would have liked them. Love you momma ♥